The shopkeeper of the voice seemed to have come only to inform Wang Zizhuo, and cut off the connection with him after speaking.
Chu Jun looked at Ning Buwei, but saw that Ning Buwei’s expression was unusually calm.
Chu Jun communicated with him through a barrier. “Are you sure this is the Rejuvenation Array?”
Ning Buwei shook his head, “I can’t tell.”
Although Ning Xingyuan was only sixteen when he created the great Rejuvenation Array, this array was like spring returning to the earth, nourishing things silently and extremely difficult for people to detect. Ning Buwei mainly studied talismans and arrays, but even now he could hardly match the exquisiteness of the Rejuvenation Array.
Chu Jun was not very proficient in arrays and couldn’t see much about it either. He only felt that something was off about this array, “I can only sense that this array seems to have vitality, but it’s really weak.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yirong, lying in the shattered pieces of the ice coffin, suddenly took a breath, sat up abruptly, and slowly opened her eyes.
Wang Zizhuo, watching this scene from within the Taiji Seal, was overcome with emotion, “It worked! It actually worked! The Respected Lord didn’t lie to me!”
But before he could finish his excitement, the flesh on Wang Yirong’s body began to fall off in pieces, her bloody internal organs rolled on the ground, and the skeleton covered in fragments of flesh and fresh blood stood up stiffly, took two steps towards him, then collapsed, turning completely into a pile of white bones.
The smile on Wang Zizhuo’s face became rigid.
Ning Buwei set up a barrier in the cave and said to Chu Jun. “Let him out first, I have questions to ask him.”
Chu Jun waved his sleeve, withdrawing the Taiji Seal, and his face suddenly paled.
Ning Buwei turned back to look at him, “Are you alright?”
“It’s nothing,” Chu Jun said, “Ning Xiu is crying, I’m comforting him.”
Ning Buwei put his mind at ease and began to focus on dealing with Wang Zizhuo.
Wang Zizhuo was very wary of Chu Jun’s Taiji Seal, and being quite cautious himself, seeing that they didn’t immediately kill him, he knew there was room for negotiation. Able to bend and stretch, he said, “Although I don’t know who you two ladies are, Wang is willing to tell everything he knows, just to make friends. Miss Sang was truly an accidental injury…”
Ning Buwei didn’t waste words with him, “Who is this ‘Respected Lord’ who taught you this array?”
Wang Zizhuo’s face changed drastically. He hadn’t heard the earlier telepathic communication and looked at Ning Buwei with suspicion and uncertainty.
“It’s fine if you don’t say,” Ning Buwei curled his lips slightly and said to Chu Jun, “I told you earlier that soul searching would be better, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“No,” Wang Zizhuo stepped back, smiling awkwardly, “I’ll tell you, no need to trouble yourself with soul searching.”
Being soul searched could easily lead to soul scattering, or at best becoming an idiot, so he was naturally afraid.
“I swear to the Heavenly Dao that every word I say is true,” Wang Zizhuo even skillfully made a poisonous oath.
“Stop wasting time,” Ning Buwei, relying on Chu Jun’s backing, began to grow more arrogant in his tone.
Wang Zizhuo, sweating profusely, said, “About a year ago, the Wang family’s main branch recruited a guest. My father valued him highly. I’m not clear about what this person looked like exactly. Father only told me to listen to his instructions. He chatted with me about many things, and we found our interests aligned…”
Seeing Ning Buwei’s expression gradually becoming impatient, he quickened his pace. “Later, he said he would teach me the Rejuvenation Array. Ning Xingyuan’s Rejuvenation Array could bring the dead back to life, which was famous at that time. Naturally, I wanted to learn, so I agreed.”
“You never saw his appearance clearly from beginning to end?” Ning Buwei frowned.
“Yes, this person’s cultivation was superior, no less than my father’s. I don’t know what kind of illusion technique he used,” Wang Zizhuo recalled. “The time I spent with him wasn’t long, he left quickly.”
Ning Buwei glanced around, “Did you set up this array yourself?”
Wang Zizhuo nodded, “I brought people to explore the secret realm of Yumian Mountain. As a result, my sister Wang Yirong was killed by that demon Ning Buwei. I was overwhelmed with grief, and in desperation, I thought of the Rejuvenation Array he taught me… I was truly blinded by the pain of losing a loved one.”
“Overwhelmed with grief?” The great demon himself sneered.
Wang Zizhuo was startled and said seriously, “Actually, I wasn’t that grief-stricken… I just wanted to see if the Rejuvenation Array he taught was real…”
He became increasingly nervous as he spoke, lifting his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
“Then why did you kidnap these women without cultivation? And what’s the deal with the spiritual roots in this array?” Ning Buwei frowned.
Although he didn’t know exactly how to draw the Rejuvenation Array, he was certain that it wouldn’t use such a vicious method, using living people’s spiritual roots as array anchors.
Wang Zizhuo swallowed, “My sister’s spiritual root was damaged. Even if brought back to life, she would be useless and unable to cultivate. That ‘Respected Lord’ happened to mention this method of reshaping spiritual roots, so I…I took a risk and tried it.”
“Do you know where this person is now?” Ning Buwei asked.
Wang Zizhuo shook his head, “He always only contacted my father. Later, when he wanted me to do something, it was his disciple who relayed the message to me.”
“Have you ever met face to face?”
“Never. His disciple was very arrogant in nature, every time he relayed a message to me, it was like a scolding…”
Ning Buwei pondered briefly, then said to Wang Zizhuo, “Tell me more details.”
—
In a dark and secluded room, two water mirrors floated in mid-air.
Sang Yun sat at a small table, leisurely drinking tea.
“Why did you bother to go through this ordeal?” A male voice came from one of the water mirrors.
“This tribulation couldn’t be avoided, but fortunately, danger was turned into safety,” Sang Yun said calmly. “It’s just as well to use this incident to sever ties with the Canghai Tower.”
“Amitabha,” The person in the other water mirror chanted softly and made a Buddhist salute.
“Two days ago, Dean Hao from Wanxuan Academy and Venerable Jinghe came to see me together. They showed me something,” Chu Linyuan in the water mirror looked grave. “It was a small green bug—”
“And from what I gathered from Venerable Jinghe’s words, the person who fought with him in the void the previous two times should be the master of this green bug, not…”
The room suddenly fell into silence.
After a long while, Zen Master Ming Sang finally spoke slowly, “This person has finally become restless.”
“He’s been uneasy since Ning Buwei stole the Linglong Bone a year ago,” Chu Linyuan’s voice turned cold.
“Speaking of the Linglong Bone,” Sang Yun suddenly spoke, “Chengfeng came to me to divine for his son.”
Zen Master Ming Sang’s voice suddenly rose. “Son?”
Chu Linyuan immediately had a bad feeling, “Why are there so many children lately—”
Sang Yun looked at them pityingly, her tone quite heavy, “Venerable Jinghe and Chengfeng’s son were transformed from the Linglong Bone.”
The room immediately fell into dead silence.
“Amitabha.” A compassionate Buddhist chant slowly arose as Ming Sang closed his eyes and sighed softly. “Such sin, such sin.”
Sang Yun put down her teacup, his expression sorrowful, “If only… Ning Xingyuan were still here.”
****
Outskirts of Leyuan City, Songshan.
“Fellow cultivators, may we meet again by fate,” Pei Heguang cupped his hands in salute to Ning Buwei and Chu Jun. “I’ll now escort Miss Sang and these women back home.”
“Much obliged,” Chu Jun returned the salute.
After Pei Heguang had led the women far away, Ning Buwei leisurely said, “Venerable Jinghe still salutes these juniors in his current identity?”
Chu Jun said, “When training outside, there’s no distinction of rank.”
Ning Buwei let out a light snort. The Purple Flame Knife he had stuffed into his storage ring flew out and transformed into a young child, blinking his eyes at him, “Father, the Suzaku Knife is broken, use me instead.”
Ning Buwei, remembering how he had rushed towards Wang Zizhuo earlier, felt angry. He smiled without humor and said lovingly. “I think you want to be broken too.”
Cui Yuanbai suddenly felt a chill down his back, and then was lifted into the air by Ning Buwei holding his collar.
“If you dare to act on your own again, I’ll stuff you back into the Purple Mansion Secret Realm,” Ning Buwei threatened.
Cui Yuanbai quietly looked at him, tears beginning to fall pitter-patter, without making a sound, looking so pitiful that it hurt just to see.
Ning Buwei: “…Don’t let it happen again.”
Cui Yuanbai’s voice trembled slightly. “I won’t turn into a knife again, Father please don’t throw Huanhuan away.”
Ning Buwei was stunned for a moment.
Cui Yuanbai was usually so quiet and well-behaved it was unnatural, only showing interest in food and fighting. Except for the very beginning, he rarely cried like this.
“He was a knife spirit for ten thousand years, it’s normal for him to want to turn into a knife,” Chu Jun said when he saw Ning Buwei looking at him. “It’s the same as how you always want to fight.”
Ning Buwei stuffed Cui Yuanbai into his arms, expressionless. “When have I ever always wanted to fight?”
Chu Jun made no comment. Cui Yuanbai looked at Ning Buwei expectantly.
Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow, “I won’t throw you away, not now, not ever.”
Cui Yuanbai immediately stopped crying and reached out to hug his neck.
This kid was strong. When he was hugged like this, Ning Buwei was caught off guard and half his body leaned against Chu Jun, who then reached out to support his waist.
A vein throbbed on Ning Buwei’s forehead, “Let go.”
Cui Yuanbai immediately obediently released his arms, looking completely innocent.
Ning Buwei turned his head to look at Chu Jun with a deep gaze. Chu Jun withdrew his hand without changing his expression.
“Do you want to turn the tables on them?” Chu Jun moved his gaze from Ning Buwei’s face.
“That ‘Respected Lord’s’ disciple arranged to meet Wang Zizhuo in Leyuan City, surely to instruct him to do something,” Ning Buwei said. “We might as well join them first.”
He smiled at Chu Jun, “I’ll need to borrow your shapeshifting technique.”
A moment later, Ning Buwei tossed the unconscious Wang Zizhuo into the Heavenly Wave Ruler, dusted off his light blue wide sleeves, and made a half-smiling expression with Wang Zizhuo’s face. “How is it?”
Chu Jun’s tone was indifferent, “Mm.”
Ning Buwei heard a hint of disdain and raised an eyebrow, “Wang Zizhuo just mentioned he has a beautiful wife and two young sons. Perhaps the Venerable could lower himself—”
Chu Jun interrupted him, holding Cui Yuanbai’s hand, “I’m planning to take him back to the Wushi Sect.”
Ning Buwei was stunned, “You’re leaving?”
Although he had always hoped for Chu Jun to leave, when Chu Jun was actually about to leave, he instinctively frowned.
“Be extra careful on your own,” Chu Jun said.
The smile in Ning Buwei’s eyes disappeared, but his face still wore a smile, “That’s for the best.”
Chu Jun gave him a slight nod and flew off into the distance with Cui Yuanbai, turning into a streak of light.
In the frosty morning, Ning Buwei, wearing Wang Zizhuo’s appearance, strode into the city confidently.
Small vendors in Leyuan City began setting up their stalls. The aroma of food mixed with steamy mist spread through the streets, and the hawkers’ calls were especially loud in the cold wind.
There were families setting up stalls together. Children, impatient with the cold, wore thick cotton clothes and circled the tables holding buns, laughing and calling for their fathers. A shopkeeper’s wife was kneading dough with a baby on her back. The baby looked about the same age as Ning Xiu and curiously looked at him, suddenly grinning.
Counting carefully, it had been over half a month since he had seen Ning Xiu…
“Immortal cultivator, would you like some noodles?” The shopkeeper, with a cloth draped over his shoulder, enthusiastically greeted him. “Our noodles are made with spirit plants, especially nourishing for spiritual power, and the taste is unparalleled!”
“Dad, I want soup!” The older child ran over and hugged the man’s leg, his cheeks red from the cold.
“Go away, go play over there, can’t you see we have a customer?” The shopkeeper scolded, but his actions were gentle as he pushed the child aside. He smiled at Ning Buwei, “Can the immortal cultivator eat spicy food? It’s good to warm up in the morning!”
Ning Buwei, protected by his cultivation, only wore a thin single layer of clothing and didn’t feel cold, but he nodded and sat down, “Alright.”
The shopkeeper was delighted to have a customer right after setting up the stall, “Great, please sit here and wait a moment, the noodles will be ready soon!”
